The simulator validation study confirms the simulator’s ability to correctly simulate the real road environment, and strengthens the reliability as a source for statistical Inference. The goal of this work was to investigate whether the Dome simulator successfully simulates typical pedestrian environment in a manner that will elicit people to act in the same manner as they would in the real world crossing situations. Data analysis shows that the simulator delivers more reliable results concerning speeds rather than distances. Questionnaires analyses show that the simulator’s faith to reality regarding the display, sound effect and perspective is medium.

Here is a fresh publication on Child pedestrians. We introduce here, for the first time, the Child-pedestrians Anticipate and Act Hazard Perception Training (CA2HPT), which is based on the same principles as our Act and AnticipateHazard Perception Training (AAHPT) for young novice drivers.

Highlights

Training utilized a conceptually innovative approach taken from the driving HP domain.

Trainees were found to be more aware of potential hazards related to restricted field of view relative to control

Child-pedestrians are responsive to training and actively detecting materialized hazards may enrich their ability to cross roads.

Abstract

Objective: Traffic collisions yield a substantial rate of morbidity and injury among child-pedestrians. We explored the formation of an innovative hazard perception training intervention – Child-pedestrians Anticipate and Act Hazard Perception Training (CA2HPT). Training was based upon enhancing participants’ ability to anticipate potential hazards by exposing them to an array of traffic scenes viewed from different angles.

Method: Twenty-four 7–9-year-olds have participated. Trainees underwent a 40-min intervention of observing typical residentialtraffic scenarios ina simulated dome projectionenvironment while engaging in a hazard detection task. Trainees were encouraged to note differences between the scenarios presented to them from separate angles (a pedestrian’s point-of-view and a higher perspective angle). Next,trainees and control group members were required to perform crossing decision tasks.

Results: Trainees were found to be more aware of potential hazards related to restricted field of view relative to control.

An example of an CAAHPT intervention scenario. (1) taken from a child-pedestrian’s POV (above) and (2) taken from a higher, less restricting angle (below). Note that in the dome facility, participants saw one perfect continuous image but here in the figure, the images are shown as three overlapping screens. White rectangle is given only for emphasis; not

Highlights

we explored child-pedestrians’ HP skills employing hazard detection task in virtual settings (our Dome lab). We used the same approach that we have used previously in the driving HP domain to study novice drivers. As pedestrians’ age increased their awareness toward potential hazards increased. 7–9-year-olds reported less instances of FOV obscured by parked vehicles. 7–9-year-olds lingered more in identifying instances of FOV obscured by parked vehicles.

Abstract

Background. Child-pedestrians are more prone to fail in identifying hazardous situations. Aiming to better understand the development of hazard-perception abilities in dynamic road situations we examined participants’ hazard detection abilities in a virtual environment.

Method. Experienced-adult participants and child-pedestrians observed typical road crossing related scenarios from a pedestrian’s point of view and engaged in a hazard detection task.

Results. Consistent with our hypotheses, less instances of obscured field of view by parked vehicles were reported as hazardous by 7–9-year-olds, who were also prone to linger more in identifying situations depicting field of view partially obscured by parked vehicles compared to all other age groups. Reports of obscured field of view by road curvature as hazardous increased with age.

Conclusions. Understanding child-pedestrians’ shortcomings in evaluating traffic situations contribute to the effort of producing intervention techniques which may increase their attentiveness toward potential hazards and lead toward reduction in their over-involvement in crashes.